Ravoll
While appearing at first to be reptilian in biology, the Ravoll are in fact an avian species, descended from some manner of intelligent flightless bird on their homeworld, an Earth-sized moon orbiting a gas-giant within the outer sectors of the Lagoon Nebula. As for their society, they are a study in seething isolationism. Some (even within the Ravoll) question why they are even in the Conclave at all, but at heart they seem to be quite cooperative, if protective of their own interests. Their latest war, that with the Essek, hangs like a dark cloud above the civilisation as a whole as their would-be conquerors now seek to join them at the bargaining table. History Origins The written history of the Ravoll extends only back a few hundred years before first contact with the Conclave. Of the period before that time, Ravoll historians speak of a dark period where a myriad of different tribes worshipped varied gods, though particularly Chakkek, the baleful sky-god that refused to share the heavens with the life-giving sun. This being, identified with the looming sphere of their moon's parent gas-giant, was capricious and demanding of its followers, binding them into obedience and occasionally deigning to channel its will through hosts (not unlike the Loa of terrestrial Voodoo). For reasons that are not completely explained by these historians (possibly because they were lost in the resultant conflict), there was a war between the tribes (which by that point had grown into nations) as many Ravoll attempted to throw off the shackles of the domination of the Chakkek and its priests (they didn't really identify it as male or female, despite the two genders being present in their species). Unfortunately, this war came near the end of an era of hightechnological development, and the weapons unleashed were catastrophic, dealing massive damage to their civilisation and driving the world into a post-apocalyptic era. As far as it would seem, however, the war against Chakkek and its priests was ostensibly won, and the Ravoll began to rebuild, albeit somewhat unevenly. With many of their natural resources depleted as a result of the devastation, or used as materiel during the war, there was intense rationing of food and technology. The society eventually moved out of the post-apocalyptic era as communications were restored between the blasted cities, and the Ravoll began to to pull together what they could of their society, albeit one with marked differences in access to secure resources. About forty years into this reconstruction period, the Ravoll encountered the Conclave through a Thuul scout drone that was traversing the system. Fifty years after that, their first jump-gate was brought online and the Ravoll were connected to the growing inter-stellar civilisation. At first the Ravoll weren't completely sure what to make of these alien species. With most of their concerns either focused on their former deities (before the apocalypse) or on their own well-being, they had not given too much thought to the existence of alien life and the public at large had more pressing concerns. Fortunately, perceptive Thuul ethnographers and social researchers managed to win the policy debates within the Conclave, and the Ravoll were not immediately pressured into joining the Conclave. This was not necessarily somethingthat the Ravoll wanted in the first place, but they remained open to trading for necessary resources for their reconstruction effort. For next hundred years or so, the Ravoll slowly continued to re-build their society, but with the constant moral and real support of their new galactic fellows. This attitude from the Conclave eventually resulted in their petitioning for full membership once their reconstruction had a reached a point where the construction of vessels for them to travel off-world became a reality (given that there were more pressing concerns before that point). Steadily the Ravoll moved out amongst the nearby systems and began to colonise nearby worlds, some even forming enclaves on Conclave worlds in order to learn more about their new allies. Unfortunately, it was during this period that the Ravoll encountered the Essek. Still conducting their grand religious crusade, the Essek made contact with the Ravoll, sending missionaries to their homeworld in the hopes of converting the Ravoll to their religion. The initial mission ended with the murder of the Essek missionaries and outright war between the two peoples. While the Essek may have had the capacity to directly attack the Ravoll homeworld, the Ravoll were saved by their extensive defences that were inherited from their pre-apocalypse society. These defences proved sufficiently advanced to hold the Essek in a stalemate until other colonies could be instructed to send reinforcements, eventually driving the Essek from the Ravoll home system. The ensuing war was bloody and motivated. The Essek had lived for generations on crusade, and saw the Ravoll as the next species to be converted at gunpoint. The Ravoll, on the other hand, had an almost fanatical hatred of devotion to any form of god, and saw (perhaps rightly so) that they were fighting for their very existence. Unfortunately for both sides, the Ravoll proved to be capable combatants as well as being able to produce the military goods as fast as was possible to keep the war going. The war was set to become a war of attrition. As this conflict ground on, the diplomats within the Conclave began to hear communications from compromised colonies where news had not been leaked before. As soon as the Conclave heard that there was a hostile species attacking a species that had worked so hard to become a valuable Conclave ally they lept into action. Sending a combined Thuul and Vereen battle fleet to a frontline conflict, the Conclave forces demanded that both sides stand down and there should be talk of an armistice. Confident that the Essek's desire for religious conversion would see these negotiations fail (and the Conclave would have to come into the war on their side) the Ravoll agreed. Faced with an now overwhelming force (three well-developed long-term allies), the Essek did likewise. Unfortunately, the Ravoll did not expect the Essek to agree to an armistice and to begin diplomatic relations with the Conclave. Protesting their every move, the Ravoll did not make it easy for those initial stages, and it was a long time before Essek diplomats made it past military negotiations. The eventual admittance of the Essek into the Conclave came close to driving the Ravoll away, as well, but fierce negotiations from Conclave ambassadors managed to smooth enough ruffled feathers that the Ravoll would settle for a blanket concession that all Conclave trade and cooperation treaties would not apply between the Essek and Ravoll unless negotiated by those parties. With the Essek now attending to their place in the Conclave, the Ravoll returned to their colonies and tended to their wounds. At the same time, however, they began to slowly build a larger and more capable fighting force, to point that they have become one of the more prominent species within the Conclave military forces. They continue to make no illusions, either, over their belief that one day the Essek and the Conclave will be at war. Current Events The Ravoll did not fare well in the data-Eclipse. While they had mainly been fortunate enough to inherit a uni-directional gate network from the Conclave, their colonies were not as self-sufficient as other species, to say nothing of their homeworld itself. All managed to survive, however, though as a result of reasonably harsh military control and rationing. While no stranger to this as a civilisation, most Ravoll had never experienced that kind of measure and were pleased when a more democratic system returned with the jump-gate system. Perhaps as a direct result of the Eclipse, the Ravoll have moved away from a grand fleet military doctrine, and more in line with enabling each system to defend itself if need be. This has resulted in the Ravoll being one of the Conclave's foremost manufacturers of military technology. Add to this that the data-Eclipse stranded many of their military personnel with other Conclave forces and a number of linkages have been made between the Ravoll military and those of other Conclave species. This has leant the Ravoll a growing say in military policy within the Conclave, and one that favours a growing development of power, something that not all Conclave members are particularly pleased about. For now, the Ravoll continue their development, but are mainly focused on organisation, their military, and infrastructure, each of which is developing at a marked pace. Conclave analysts predict that within the next fifty years or so the Ravoll will be able to rival the Thuul in military prowess and technology. Culture Technology While the Ravoll are more advanced than some species in some areas (notably construction and some cutting edge fields), the extent to which this technology has fully penetrated their society is limited. More focused on development and infrastructure, the Ravoll are obsessed with “hardening” their colonies against future attack (which they believe will inevitably come from the Essek). As such, the citizens of the Ravoll largely make do with what they have and find new uses for old technology. This innovation can prove interesting unto itself at times, and their growing communications network is quick to praise such ingenuity. One area that the Ravoll are catching up very quickly with other races is in the field of military applications of technology. With an apocalyptic history and a recent war under their belt, the Ravoll are determined to make sure that they’re not caught short again, and have built a large number of ships, though notably have had the good sense to stay away from the large capital ships and focus very effectively on massed fleet tactics, mainly consisting of destroyers and frigates. Despite that fact that the Essek maintain a large number of capital ships themselves, the Ravoll were quick to note the extent to which fleet doctrine revolved around these massive warships and used even this minimal lack of flexibility to their advantage during the war. Of course, this means that the Ravoll have to turn out more and more ships in order to effectively counter the more powerful weapon systems that can be mounted on such large structures. It should also be noted that while most of their high technology from before their own private apocalypse decimated their world, there are still certain powerful artefacts that remain useful and in the capable hands of their scientists. Only a very few of these are beyond the complete understanding of their best minds, but it’s notable that one example of this is the planetary defence system in orbit around their homeworld. This system is unique in that it is solely energy focused (most species use high-yield projectile weaponry for mid-range planetary defence, relying on moderate-to-low energy based weapons for point defence and light craft aggression. These powerful weapons proved effective even against the Essek (with the Askari’s command over such forms of energy) a fact that causes no small amount of confusion and curiosity amongst the Ravoll’s former combatants. Society The Ravoll are an almost monomaniacal species in some respects, with a constant devotion and focus toward the civilisation of their space. They are also noted hoarders, ensuring there are stockpiles of resources even down to individual households. This tendency, exacerbated since the data-Eclipse, would otherwise lead to significant waste, though this is usually kept to a minimum by the Ravoll’s desire to innovate socially with others over their holdings. The social aspect of this hoarding, however, should not go underestimated. While it is not clear what kind of social structures were in place before their apocalypse, the Ravoll do not possess a sense of property ownership to the extent that some other species may, and life amongst the Ravoll is a very social experience. It is not uncommon to find neighbours, relatives, strangers, and life-long friends sharing an evening meal or engaging in some manner of competitive activity. Like so many of their notable social customs, this “all-in-it-together” mentality stems from the species’ survival of the apocalypse. Whatever their social structures may have been, the Ravoll focus primarily on an individual’s contribution to the social whole (though do not put as normative a pressure on it as the Essek). As such, superficial differences like sex, gender, and race do not play a great role in Ravoll society, given the extent to which it has been necessary for the species as a whole to focus on the reconstruction of their society. In this effort, the Ravoll are governed by tiered form of democracy. Individual Ravoll elect local committees which in turn elect councillors, which in turn nominate electors, which in turn vote on the constitution of their central government. In the age of extra-solar colonies, the electors also fill the roll of planetary governor and most important decisions are left to this individual. Of note is the fact that there is little in the way of executive power, with the position of Commander-in-Chief afforded only after voting by the central government. This position, only filled once by General Arlla Gini during the war with the Essek, effectively transforms for the Ravoll into a dictatorial government, with the CIC having nearly all branches of the government subordinated beneath his or her authority (the higher courts are excluded, though rulings against the government tend to favour expediency as a result of the emergency). This seemed to work during the conflict with the Essek, and once the armistice was signed, General Gini relinquished her role, returning her people to a democratic government (though she continues to play an important, non-governmental, role in Ravoll politics). External Relations The Conclave The Ravoll have had a long relationship with the Conclave, extend well beyond their initial contact with the Thuul. Scholars reviewing the Conclave archives generated a great deal of respect in the system of the Conclave, particularly for the fact that the Ravoll were afforded the freedom to develop and join the Conclave on their own terms. While the Ravoll don’t necessarily agree with many of the decisions of the Conclave (particularly in relation to the Essek), they are solid supporters of inter-species forum and continue to play an important and vital role in many areas of its operation. Of note is the extent to which Ravoll materiel and personnel have been integrated into Conclave peace-keeping and police forces. This affords the Ravoll valuable military experience, as well as the opportunity to form linkages between different species with similar military interests. The Vereen The Ravoll and the Vereen have something of a love/hate relationship. While they are general appreciative for the Vereen’s diplomatic efforts and the extent to which the Vereen have a keen interest in Ravoll political organisation, there is a tendency for the Ravoll to see the Vereen as something akin to meddlers. As a result, the Ravoll pay a great deal of attention to what the Vereen are doing within the Conclave, though try as they can not to look at Vereen internal politics (in order not to be tarred with the same brush). This is marginally successful, though the Vereen seem more than happy to engage with the Ravoll over these examinations, mainly as a result of their desire for occasional political “fencing”, which can lead to exasperation amongst Ravoll diplomats. The Thuul Of all the species in the Conclave, the Ravoll are closest to the Thuul. Curiously, the Ravoll do not draw much of a distinction between the Jag and Pon Thuul, and point to a shared history with both sides stretching back to first contact. With their access to Conclave records, the Ravoll are able to see the Thuul’s advocacy for the Conclave’s initial policy toward their species, and are thankful for this wisdom. Such steadfastness and good sense earns the Thuul much respect, and the Thuul military most in particularly given current events. The Ravoll continue to expand relations with both the Jag and Pon Thuul, notable pursuing military relations with the former, and research partnerships with the latter. The Essek To say that relations are cold between the Ravoll and the Essek is analogous to saying that the Sahara is hot. The Ravoll having a standing concession with the Conclave specifically excluding them form affording the Essek any of the usual benefits between Conclave member species. This means that trade concessions between the species do not exist, borders can be controlled to prevent Essek from entering, and each territorial claim made by the Essek within the Conclave must be individually recognised by the Ravoll (which they are loathe to do). Of course, this relationship goes both ways, and it shows no signs of improving given the lack of social contact. As far as the different sects within the Essek, the Ravoll reserve the majority of their enmity for the Askari, who they see as the true rulers of a theocratic society (while at the same time recalling the fanatical brutality of the Kassak). There is really no sign that relations will improve at any time in the near future, and the two species continue to keep each other at arm’s length. The Froan As species outside of the Conclave, the Ravoll don’t really have too much contact with the Froan, but occasionally purchase resource shipments or commission construction contracts of this civilisation of builders. This limitation of relations primarily to trade suits both the Ravoll and the Froan, and most Ravoll are quick to dismiss Froan delegations as solely existing for trade (which is not that far from the truth). Recently, however, there have been overtures of a closer relationship from the Ravoll given the need for an ever increasing number of military vessels. If the Froan can address certain security concerns, it may eventuate that there could be a military-industrial contract between the Froan and the Ravoll within the next five years.. The Avar The Ravoll generally see the Avar as not particularly worthy of interest. Seers are not particularly useful when what you want is to develop yourself now, and the Ravoll don’t have much time for flighty travellers and hedonists. That said, a number of Ravoll are curious to know what the future holds for them, and they are keen to engage any Avar they find as friends in the hopes of finding more out about the future of themselves and their species as a whole. None have been able to actually find an Avar capable of projections to that extent as yet, though there are rumours that a very few have been invited aboard the Avar’s observatory. The Terran Republic Just as the Ravoll don’t really have much time for the Froan beyond trade, much the same can be said for the Terran Republic. Given their extensive existing relationship with the Froan, however, the necessity of these relations is not great, and there is little contact between the two species (and the Republic is in no particular hurry to speed this along). The Ravoll, however, seem ill at ease around Republic telepaths, which seems somewhat more aggravated than their general distaste for psionic talents. While this doesn’t spark outright violence, the Ravoll are loathe to trust telepaths, and exchanges between a Ravoll and such a talent can prove to be quite an awkward situation to observe, and even worse of which to be a part. The Free Terran Systems As a member of the Conclave, the FTS is afforded all due rights as dictated by membership. The Ravoll largely do not have much contact with the FTS, but extensive piracy (read: Republic privateers) within the FTS means that Conclave police forces staffed with a number of Ravoll have made contact. In this respect, the Ravoll see the FTS as something of a nuisance. If, so the Ravoll argue, the FTS was not capable of defending itself from Republic aggression, they should have bided their time until they could have done so before claiming independence, rather than depending on outside aid. While the FTS seems very adept at counter-intelligence and otherwise foiling subversion attempts by the Republic, their military capacity seems completely limited, something that the Ravoll aren’t happy about. This is even more aggravated by the fact that the current FTS regime isn’t particularly enthusiastic about constructing the materiel required to defend itself. This largely results in the more extreme among the Ravoll regarding the FTS as nothing more than idealistic, blowhard, free-loaders (which does have a grain of truth to it). Psionic Abilities The Ravoll don’t have any psionic talents to speak of, though it is possible that they did have some in the past (and may again in the future). They are not in any hurry, however, given their inherent distrust of anything psionic. Most Ravoll regard psionics as a level of power far too dangerous for the hands of anyone and see it as a path to madness. In their minds, there are some abilities that should not be pursued to their ends without the ability to comprehend the results, and psionic talents are just such abilities. Category:Pages needing work Category:Members of the Conclave Category:Species of Eclipse